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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · chip · wave · fine · foot · kid · lash · root

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fine — all right
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. kid — to tease
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stock — goods
  14. kid — child
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stock — shares
  20. root — of a plant
  21. chip — for betting
  22. root — the cause
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. root — of a word

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com